The Human Factor: Revolutionizing the Way We Live with Technology explores why so many everyday tools and complex systems are hard to use, unsafe, or prone to “human error” — and how a different approach to design can transform them.
Drawing on examples from homes, hospitals, aircraft cockpits, nuclear power plants and more, the author shows how technology often ignores what people are really like physically, mentally, and socially. From confusing stove tops and voicemail menus to airline accidents and medical mistakes, the book reveals how poor design can lead to anything from frustration to catastrophe.
Using a framework called the “Human-tech ladder,” the book examines the fit between people and technology at five levels: physical, psychological, team, organizational and political. Case studies such as toothbrushes that match the human mouth, cockpit communication training, hospital incident-reporting systems, and public health disasters illustrate both failures and successes.
The Human Factor ultimately argues for technology that starts with human and societal needs and then shapes tools, procedures, and policies around them. It offers readers a way to recognize better-designed systems, advocate for safer practices, and understand how design choices influence daily life and public safety.
Key themes
- Human-centred design and usability
- Medical and aviation safety
- Systems thinking and organizational culture
- Technology, policy, and public risk
